The Foolish Love and the Supreme Victory

This is the story of Kundala Kesi, a young woman who fell madly in love with a bandit, nearly lost her life at his hands, managed to save herself in time, and then went forth to ordination, attaining enlightenment through the Venerable Sariputta.

One afternoon in the city of Rajagaha, golden sunlight spread across the red-tiled rooftops. On the upper floor of a wealthy mansion, a young girl leaned against the window frame, her eyes wandering idly over the street below. Suddenly, from a distance came the sound of commotion—hurried footsteps and the shouts of guards. The girl, the only daughter of a rich merchant named Kundala Kesi, curiously opened the window and looked down. It was a company of soldiers escorting a captured bandit. He was bound tightly, his face stern and unshaken, with a full beard, showing not a trace of fear. At that very moment, something strange happened within her heart. A bolt of love at first sight, a sensation as shocking as a thunderclap beside her ear, made her whole body tremble as she stood frozen. She had only just seen him—a bandit being dragged through the street—and already her heart was stirring; she had fallen in love with him. It was the most foolish love in the world, a record never before seen in history: to fall in love with a bandit who had just been captured before her very eyes.

That young girl had been pampered by her parents since childhood, raised in silk and luxury, never knowing hardship. Yet now, with the bandit captured, she demanded only one thing: to marry him. She refused to eat, threatened to jump from the rooftop, and wept uncontrollably, leaving her parents—wise people though they were—completely helpless. Out of love for his only daughter, the wealthy father resorted to an incredibly risky plan: he bribed the prison official with a large sum of money, substituted another condemned prisoner at the execution ground in the bandit's place, and then secretly brought him home to be his daughter's husband.

At first, the bandit lived in luxury, with a beautiful wife and great wealth, as if he had ascended to the heavens. But his nature was wicked, greedy, and steeped in a lawless spirit. After only one month, he grew weary of this settled life with just one wife. He conceived the plan to kill her, seize the family fortune, and flee. He devised a scheme: he pretended to tell his wife that he had once made a vow to a deity in a deep ravine of thieves, promising that if he escaped death, he would return to make an offering. He told her to dress beautifully and wear many jewels to accompany him. His infatuated wife suspected nothing and happily obeyed.

Along the way, the wife noticed a change in her husband's manner. He no longer spoke tender words; his eyes had grown cold and sharp, like those of a murderer. When they reached the edge of the ravine, he turned around, revealing his true face: "Take off all your jewels and hand them over. Today I will kill you, for I cannot live forever in this boring family life. My blood is the blood of an outlaw." His wife was stunned, but in that moment, her intelligence awakened. Without wavering, she thought of a plan. She said, "Since we have been husband and wife for even one day, we are husband and wife. Before I die, please allow me to express my love for my husband." He agreed. She slowly removed her jewels, feigned affection as she circled around him, then suddenly pushed him with all her strength in the back, sending him tumbling down into the deep ravine. She had saved herself from the murderer's hands.

After escaping danger, she stood in the middle of the road, her heart in turmoil. She thought, "How can I ever face my parents now? I was so foolish—disobeying them to marry a bandit, nearly killed by him, and now I have killed him. I can never go home again." She left behind all her jewels, turned onto another path, and quietly departed. She went in search of a place to take refuge, and by chance encountered the followers of Nirgrantha, an ascetic sect that practiced naked austerity, with lofty philosophy and a leader who was nearly enlightened. She asked to ordain with them. Thanks to her innate wisdom, she quickly became an outstanding debater whom no one in the sect could defeat.

One day, she traveled to the city of Savatthi, the great capital of the Kosala kingdom, intending to challenge all the scholars there. Following the ancient custom of India, she piled up a mound of sand and planted a tree branch at the city gate, signifying a challenge to debate anyone who dared. The Venerable Sariputta, the Buddha's foremost disciple in wisdom, saw this and had a young boy pull up the branch, accepting the challenge. A great crowd gathered to witness the debate. The Venerable Sariputta politely invited her to question him first. From morning until afternoon, she asked question after question—long, winding inquiries about nirvana, liberation, and practice. He answered them all fluently, never once flustered. By afternoon, she was exhausted, with no questions left. Only then did he gently ask her in return: "Young lady, let me ask you one question: What is the One?"

She was stunned, unable to answer. The question was simple, yet profoundly deep. She knelt down and bowed at his feet: "Please teach me, Venerable Sir—what is the One?" The Venerable Sariputta replied: "Nirvana is the One, the supreme peak of liberation, of perfect peace and freedom, beyond all comparison." She bowed once. He continued: "The World-Honored One is the One among all gods and humans, the single most exalted sage, whom no one can equal." She bowed again. He continued: "The harmony of the noble Sangha of disciples who follow the Buddha is the One, a love and unity that no one can ever break." She bowed again. He recounted nearly one hundred such noble "Ones," from the Four Noble Truths to the true Dharma, all of them beautiful and sublime. In the end, she was completely won over and asked to take refuge in the Buddha.

The Venerable Sariputta brought her to meet the Buddha. Upon hearing her story, the Buddha taught: "Though one may recite a hundred verses with no benefit, better is a single verse that, when heard, brings peace." And he spoke a second verse: "Though one may conquer a thousand enemies a thousand times on the battlefield, greater still is the one who conquers himself—that is the supreme victory." Upon hearing this, Kundala Kesi attained the state of an Arahant and was recorded among the elder nuns. She had truly conquered herself, transcending delusion and hatred, and attained enlightenment and liberation.

## The Meaning of the Story

The greatest victory is not victory over enemies, but victory over oneself—overcoming greed, hatred, delusion, and the afflictions (kleshas) in the mind/heart. One true word that brings peace is more precious than a hundred useless ones. Always practice to master your own mind/heart, for that is the true path to genuine happiness.

Compiled from a dharma talk by the Venerable Thich Chan Quang.